A Quick Look A The Different Types Of Oranges

There are several well known different types of oranges. The orange is the most popular of the citrus fruits, no doubt because it is sweeter than its close cousins, the lime and the grapefruit, and much sweeter than another close relative, the lemon. The orange is a subtropical fruit, grown almost entirely in Florida and California, as far as United States production is concerned, although you may find orange groves in Texas as well, even though Texas is better known for its Texas-sized pink grapefruit.

The Navel Orange - Most of the oranges grown in the world come from Brazil, though not too many are exported to the United States. Ranking number 2, we have plenty of our own. Of the various types of oranges, the Navel orange is the one most commonly seen in the produce section of the supermarket. These oranges have nothing to do with the Navy, if so, they would be spelled naval. Navel oranges are so called because they have a navel, commonly called a "belly button".

This belly button, navel, or protrusion, is actually a second orange, albeit a rather small one. As small as it is, the second orange is sometimes big enough to eat, though barely. A number of years back an orange grower, while out in the grove, discovered an orange that was unlike any of the other oranges. It had this strange protrusion. It tasted every bit as good as any of the other oranges, in fact seemed a bit easier to peel. It was a mutant. The grower was able to replicate this mutant strain of oranges, and the Navel orange was born.

The Valencia Orange - If you drink lots of packaged or frozen orange juice, chances are you're tasting the juice from one of the other better known types of oranges, the Valencia orange. The name Valencia hints at the orange having a Spanish origin, which is most probably the case, as Spain ranks third or fourth in the world in the production of oranges. The Valencia orange is considered by many to be sweeter than the Navel orange, and is a great deal juicier, which makes it the ideal candidate for orange juice. If you like to make your own orange juice at home, and have been relying on Navel oranges, you might consider giving the Valencia orange a try. They are usually available, at certain times of the year anyway, and you may notice a decided difference in taste, besides getting a little more juice per orange.

The Mandarin Orange - The other of the more well known types of oranges is the Mandarin, which comes in three major varieties. The name Mandarin suggests an oriental origin, and this is indeed where these oranges originated, though some varieties are now grown elsewhere, including in the United States. The three best know varieties of the Mandarin orange are the Satsuma, a native of Japan, the Clementine, and the Tangerine. These oranges are noted for not only their sweetness, but also the ease in which they can be peeled. The orange peel often comes off as if it were simply a wrapping. Speaking of wrappings, the first encounter many have had with a Mandarin orange was around the holiday season, when these small oranges come, perhaps in a wooden box or at least a heavy cardboard box, individually wrapped in red tissue paper.

Merry Christmas - Mandarin oranges, whether they are Satsuma, Clementine, or Tangerine have a way of finding themselves in Christmas stockings, or in a bowl on the table along with the Christmas dinner. While most oranges have seeds, there are some types of oranges, including the Mandarin, that are either seedless, or nearly so.